John Eliot Gardiner is back with a new orchestra and choir after officially parting ways with the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestras (MCO) in July.
John Eliot Gardiner launches Springhead Constellation
The conductor's newly-launched Constellation Choir and Orchestra will tour a number of European venues in December, and will feature 'some of Europe’s most distinguished musicians and singers, alongside special guest soloists'.
The new choir and orchestra are part of Springhead Constellation, a wider collective 'committed to redefining 21st-century artistry and fostering interdisciplinary regeneration,' according to Gardiner. Among those who have joined the new ensembles are MCO musicians: oboist Michael Niesemann, violist Fanny Paccoud and violinist Kati Debretzeni.
A parting of ways for Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir
In July, the MCO announced that Gardiner would 'not be returning' to the organisation - comprising the Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, which Gardiner founded in 1964, 1978 and 1989 respectively.
In August 2023, Gardiner withdrew from all conducting activities in the wake of his reported physical assault of a singer backstage at the Berlioz Festival in France.
A new touring schedule
The conductor's new Constellation Choir and Orchestra will perform works by Bach and Charpentier at five European venues in December: Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg; Wiener Konzerthaus; Philharmonie Luxembourg; Konzerthaus Dortmund; and Château de Versailles. There are also plans for a touring programme through 2025 and into 2026.
A statement from John Eliot Gardiner reads:
'It gives me great pleasure to announce the foundation of Springhead Constellation, a unique new project embodying a vibrant collective of musical ensembles, creative artists and makers.
'Our flagship groups, The Constellation Orchestra and The Constellation Choir will produce ambitious, multidisciplinary performance projects that tour around the world. Our aspiration is to create accessible, engaging and educational performances that resonate across all generations and geographies.
'Since my return to conducting in Montpellier in July, I have been deeply moved and inspired by the extremely warm and enthusiastic messages of support I have received from musicians, presenters and promoters alike.
'I made clear when I parted company with the MCO earlier this summer that I was not in any sense ready to retire. I said I would be focussing on a rich variety of new projects. Springhead Constellation and this tour – which will be the first of many - represents the realisation of that commitment and I am hugely energised about what we can go on to achieve together.
'More than anything else, I am so excited and grateful to be working with such exceptional musicians once again, not forgetting the important lessons I have learnt and needed to learn from the past year.'
John Eliot Gardiner: one of the world's leading conductors
One of the world's most admired conductors, John Eliot Gardiner is famous for his interpretations of Baroque music, in particular Bach and Monteverdi. His cycle of Beethoven symphonies with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, one of three ensembles he has founded, is also one of the most admired Beethoven symphony cycles in the catalogue.
Earlier in 2023, Gardiner made arguably the most high-profile appearance of his career. At the pre-coronation service concert for King Charles III at Westminster Abbey, he conducted two of the ensembles he founded, the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, in music by Bach and Bruckner.